Gideon was quite pleased with the gamble he'd taken in writing to Miss Robins over the summer. Billie had taken to her immediately, from his perspective, and he thought his daughter now had an appreciation for her sex that extended beyond the prim and proper ladies she might see taking a stroll through Padmore Park. That alone would have been enough to justify any time and effort Gideon spent writing to keep her appraised of Billie's misadventures during the first semester she was away, but the truth was that he was enjoying writing to Miss Robins as well, so it had turned out beautifully for all parties. Inviting her to come and see Billie over the holiday had been an obvious choice, and Gideon had thought the ice-skating rink he'd agreed to sponsor as part of the Christmas festival was equally obvious. Miss Robins might not be the type to blush at stepping indoors with an unmarried gentleman, but all the same it was probably best to avoid anything that might lead to scandal — to set a good example for Billie, if nothing else. And he had assumed she would be keen on ice skating, given that she was an athlete by trade.

She had seemed keen, when he invited her, but moments after getting her skates on it was clear that she was much more graceful on a broom than she was on the ice. Gideon wondered why she'd accepted the invitation in the first place — did she feel as though she couldn't refuse without being impolite? She didn't strike him as the type to stand on ceremony, but — well. Here they were.

"I thought you'd be skating circles 'round the both of us," he admitted sheepishly to Miss Robins. He felt as though he were partially to blame for any embarrassment that befell her this afternoon, since he'd issued the invitation, although she still seemed to be in fine enough spirits. "I suppose it's much different than flying?"

Augusta Robins Billie Farrow